Sunday, February 21, 2016

Things Health Practitioners Should Know When Offering Patient Education

By Steven Hill


If you are a caregiver, you must have come across sick people who do not respond effectively to treatment. While this could be attributed to a number of reasons, patient education could also be a contributing factor. Before treating a sick person, it is important for them to understand what they are suffering from. Help them accept their condition and know that they stand to get better. It is only then that their health can improve.

With the sophistication of technology, it is now easier to access the materials and guidelines that can be used to educate sick people. In fact, most of the health care facilities have come up with educational resources. These resources are easy to customize and print out with respect to the needs of the person receiving treatment. Nursing care professionals should take note of those resources to give adequate information to their clients.

There are many credible internet sources where caregivers can find accurate information to give to their clients. However, when giving this information, it is important to ensure the client understands what is entailed in the materials. Take time to review the printed information with your client. This will make the person have more interest in reading the information on his or her own. Ensure that the individual needs of the client are addressed.

You can use different techniques to offer the same information. As a matter of principle, providing training using different modalities helps to reinforce teaching. The first thing you need to do is determine whether your client learns best by reading or watching DVD. Most of the adults are intelligent and function effectively. They are however unable to read and comprehend instructions in printed form.

If you realize that your client cannot read and comprehend information, you may opt for information on DVDs. Fortunately, most of the manuals are available both in print and in DVD formats. Visual impression is very powerful. A nurse may also opt to use a hand on technique to teach their patients. If a mother is not bathing their baby properly, guiding her on doing it right is more effective. Manuals may not be sufficient.

Building a strong reputation in the health care industry is not an easy task. As such, nurses should learn to work hand in hand with their clients. It all begins with inspiring them. This will, in turn, make them patients who feel responsible for their conditions. They will understand that they have a bigger role to play in keeping their health in check.

If you are not careful, adult clients can give you a hard time. A good number of them expect almost instantaneous fulfillment. Take time to establish rapport. You need to win their trust. You can do this by asking important questions that will make them talk. Give them detailed information whenever they ask you a question.

You need assurance that the client will follow your instructions. Include family members during teaching. They can help you to monitor the patients since they will be them at home.




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